4o8 Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research 



membranous and scarcely indented, but those on back in front of dorsal fin with defi- 

 nitely indented margin, and no vertical grooves; 4 or 5 rows of scales exposed be- 

 tween tip of pectoral and base of pelvic. The pair of modified scales at nape shorter 

 than eye. Ventral scutes not prominent, 18 or 19 in front of pelvic fins and 14 or 

 15 behind them. 



Head with length rather exceeding greatest depth of body, 2)-i-2>-9S '" ^L, its 

 depth at vertical from slight crossgroove at occiput 4r-SS~S-?>S '" S^- Snout rounded, 

 its margin without a median notch, 3.4-3.8 in head. Eye with diameter equal to, or a 



Figure ioi. Sardinella irasiliensis, 122 mm TL, 94mm SL, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, USNM 124317. 

 Drawn by Ann S. Green. 



little longer than, snout (rarely slightly shorter), 3.4-3.8 in head. Interorbital (over 

 middle of eye) 4.8-5.8. Cheek longer than deep. Maxillary broadly rounded pos- 

 teriorly, reaching nearly or quite to vertical from anterior margin of pupil, 2.3-2.5 

 in head. Mandible projecting slightly, its margin within mouth rising rather grad- 

 ually without forming a definite angle. Gill rakers long, very slender, extremely 

 close-set, very difficult to count, the longest about as long as eye, the serrations on inner 

 edge extremely minute; the rakers increasing in number with age and growth: 82 and 

 83 in specimens 64 and 68 mm SL, 116 in an 89-mm specimen, and 130 and 132 in 

 specimens 91 and 93 mm SL (gill rakers removed for counting). Teeth absent in 

 upper jaw; some fine points present on margin of maxillary; lower jaw with a row 

 of 5-7 very small teeth anteriorly on each side of a median interruption; very small 

 granular teeth present on palatines, pterygoids, and tongue. 



Dorsal fin moderately elevated anteriorly, its margin definitely concave, its long- 

 est rays usually failing to reach the tip of last ray if deflexed, its origin a little nearer 

 to margin of snout than to vertical from last ray of anal, its distance from margin of 

 snout 2.15-2.25 in SL; the base of fin with a very narrow sheath composed of a single 

 row of elongated scales, the posterior ones having a free lower margin. Caudal fin rather 

 deeply forked, the lower lobe slightly the longer ; no small scales, but a few large modi- 



